


Strike a Pose!

by misfortune_pride



Category: the GazettE
Genre: A little sprinkle of Kaoi as well!, Alternate Universe - College life, Alternate Universe - Modeling, Enemies to Lovers, Hopeless pining, M/M, Romance, Slow Burn, Some angst?, Tags Are Hard, Uruha is a dick, Wait yes angst, Yes it's mainly Aoiha but there is some Aoiki too!, seme!Uruha - Freeform, uke!Aoi - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-08-19
Updated: 2019-04-11
Packaged: 2019-06-29 17:47:01
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 19,359
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15734358
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/misfortune_pride/pseuds/misfortune_pride
Summary: Yuu doesn't know how it got to be this way. It was all his fault! That dazzling smile and smouldering gaze got him into this mess! Yuu thought he would be nice and gentle, as sweet as his interviews made him out to be, a true prince charming. But no, he was the complete opposite and infuriated Yuu more than anyone else on this entire damn planet! How could the very man he came to admire, the one who inspired him to get into this mess be so... so... mean!





	1. Chapter 1

Yuu had a whole shelf full of them, from the day his face was first printed, to present day, he collected each magazine without fail. Today was specially marked on his calendar, for the next issue was to be released, and after school, he would get it. Again, without fail.  


Yuu couldn’t wait, yet another magazine would finally feature his beloved! The raven couldn’t help but to swoon just at the thought of being able to stare at new, gorgeous photos of his imaginary boyfriend. He knew it was beyond absurd to think of such a perfect person this way, especially because he didn’t have a single chance of getting with him, let alone seeing him in person. The thought put him down greatly, but that never stopped him from gawking at the glossy pages each time he saw his features.  


As soon as his alarm went off beside his bed, Yuu’s eyes cracked open with a pained gasp. Once he swept his long strands from his face, he realized what today was once his brain switched on and shot out of the warm covers and towards his closet to get dressed. Every other day, he dreaded waking up for school, but days like this he had something to look forward to. It was like Christmas every few months! After getting dressed and brushing his teeth, he left for school, his bag swinging over his shoulder and hitting his back as he ran. Maybe if he ran there fast enough the day would speed by just as quickly?  


Small groups of girls at the community college would stop for a moment upon seeing the pretty raven haired make his way through the crowd, looking at him with shy giggles and staring eyes, seemingly interested in whatever had the raven in such a fuss today. Sure, girls were cute, Yuu thought, but then someone like Uruha had to exist. Yuu claims to have no interest in other men. Not at all! He wasn't gay, pfft, no… Except, well, he had to be the gayest man in the world! And only for Uruha, who had dazzled him all those years ago. He used the time he speed walked to class to reminisce about his cringe worthy high school days, the first time he saw that alluring face stare right at him from the lifeless pages of some high end fashion magazine. His heart would flutter the same way each time he saw him from that day. Oh, how he hadn’t changed a bit. But Yuu didn’t have much more time to get lost in young memories, he needed to get busy thinking about getting to class, sitting, and waiting for the professor to release his class at the end of the day instead.  


Notes today mainly consisted of doodles and random scribbles, his mind elsewhere when really he should be focusing. Hell, once Uruha was on his mind there would be no shaking him out of it until it was all released in a maelstrom of loud, incessant fanboy noises. Sitting calmly never worked. Ever.  


When the time came for notes about some historical leader were to be taken, the only thing Yuu could think about was his imaginary boyfriend, and how much he wished he could become as amazing a model as he was. Not only to achieve the dream Uruha inspired him to strive for since he first flipped through that one magazine years ago, but to maybe even meet him one day as equals. The raven haired sighed dreamily, in a daze as he imagined them modeling a couple’s shoot together. How romantic…~  


Without taking a single important note in class, his thoughts were interrupted by the obnoxiously loud echo of students talking and filing out of the classroom, signifying the end of the one class for this day. Yuu wasn’t one to complain at times like these, despite how much he would’ve liked to keep that fantasy going; his daydreams were stopped for a very good reason! Tripping over his feet multiple times, he somehow managed to leave the classroom without giving himself or others any untreatable injuries, his lips curving up into the happiest smile ever as he exited the building before everyone else.  


The sky was a light grey with the sun blocked out, making for what most would call a gloomy atmosphere, but oh no not for Yuu. All bad things were ignored in moments like this. Rushing to his usual shop, he stepped inside, knowing exactly where to go. At the sight of the rack with the latest fashion releases, he grabbed the flimsy pages with a delicate hand and took it to check out. Without waiting for the cashier to scan it and tell him the price he handed over the long memorized amount he needed to pay for magazines of this type, uttering a quick goodbye to the guy running the register and making a run for his bachelor apartment, said guy sighing at how rude Yuu seemed to be each time he came in to purchase something here.  


The same routine for two years now: going to school, buying the magazine after school, going through it and squealing like a girl at each picture he came across involving his beloved Uruha… and then laying down on his stomach absolutely depressed.  


He couldn't get up the stairs and into the door fast enough.  


“Oh my god, his hands… And that tux! Holy hell!” Today, though, did not seem to be the day for another sadness session. After studying every detail of the now honey blonde man in a goddamn black, fitted tux, and instead of crying and complaining on the floor for about 5 hours, he was jumping on practically every piece of furniture in the whole apartment, squeaking hysterically when he saw an ad for the agency each model in this issue were signed for. He read further into it, realizing that the photographers of said agency were currently looking for “Fresh, Youthful Faces” to hire for new lines of the latest trends in fashion.  


Yuu couldn’t contain his excitement, especially with his chance staring him right in the face. Yuu’s thoughts went wild; this must be fate, something or someone wanted this to happen, he thought to himself amidst his rapid breaths, unable to calm down. Immediately, he grabbed for his phone and dialed both the numbers of his best friends, a loud blonde answering with a more than disgruntled tone.  


“The hell Yuu? What could possibly be more important than me beating this one boss level?! I’m so close dammit!” On the other line, an amused laugh left the more gentle toned brunette.  


“What’s up, Yuu?” He asked calmly, knowing this must have something to do with the magazine. Yuu often confided in him for emotional support when it came to especially amazing issues. Like the one that came out 7 months before this one. Yuu was absolutely hysterical then, practically screeching to the brunette about how even one button on Uruha’s shirt was undone and it showed his collarbones. Yutaka felt perfectly justified in laughing then, anyone would! Yuu was overreacting, as usual, but now that Akira was involved in the conversation, something else must be the case. And something of far more importance than just some extra skin being shown. Hopefully.  


“You guys are not going to believe this, but, but, but there’s this thing and the Cerulean industry, you know, THE Cerulean industry, is looking to hire new aspiring models and I think, maybe, I should sign up for auditions and interviews and and-”  


“I think we get the point, Yuu, but if you’re going to do this, you need to calm down a little bit, you know? And maybe explain a little bit better, huh?” Akira cut in snappily, finding the raven’s excitement rather amusing as well, but that didn’t mean he was no longer upset about having his precious gaming time interrupted! Yuu took a deep breath after that, knowing getting way overly excited wouldn’t do any good, especially if he needed to start staying calm more often if he was going to get the job. If…  


“Okay okay, I’m calm, calm, yes. I just need to figure out how to apply… I’ll um, update you guys later! Gottagonowbye!” Yeah no, totally not at all calm! Leaving his two friends with an abrupt ending, Yuu jumped off his sofa and flipped through the magazine with a huge grin, taking a picture of the email printed on the advertisement and reading the rest of the guidelines. Seems easy enough, just gotta call, set up a time for an interview and a quick testing photoshoot! Age didn’t seem to matter either, they were even looking for children! Yuu had this, he knew he would be one of the few to be accepted, there wasn’t a doubt in his mind! Except for when he was about to fall asleep. His eyes remain wide open and his mind at complete unrest. So many ‘what ifs’ plagued his mind and kept him awake deep in the night. All of which were more than unpleasant.  


‘What if I don’t get accepted? What if I completely mess up during the shoot? What if they think I’m not pretty enough? Will I even become one of the higher ups?’ Yuu couldn’t help himself, all of these thoughts seriously putting him down in terms of esteem and confidence, making him question if he was even really ready to audition for such a position. Sure, he’s dreamed of a moment like this ever since he first came across this magazine, but now that it’s actually here, Yuu didn’t know what to do with himself! His dream career, right in his face, and he was already considering not applying. He felt pathetic, to be honest, until a thought came to him.  


‘What if… I get the chance to see Uruha in person. For even just a second… Everything would be worth it.’ Just that possibility made Yuu’s thoughts flip and caused a sudden burst of confidence to flow through every inch of his being! After years of longing, he knew he had to stop feeling sorry for himself, he had to take this chance. To see Uruha, above everything else, was a goal he intended to accomplish!  



	2. Chapter 2

Yuu had emailed the agency a little over two weeks ago and waited with no clear idea about when or if he would even get a response. A plain outfit and a makeup-less photo was required, as well as contact information and general facts about himself. Age, height, weight, and schooling information, sure those were simple questions, he thought, but a photo? He really didn’t even expect a response based upon some picture with no filter and a terrible angle. At least, that's what he thought of it; his friends and the girls at school would definitely say otherwise. 

Those two weeks had passed with Yuu worrying every single day, refreshing his inbox multiple times a day until finally, the company’s manager of all new recruits emailed Yuu back and gave him the day and time to come in for an interview. Said day was today, and Yuu couldn’t wait! He had already imagined every question they could possibly ask, and even tried posing in the mirror everyday for the test photo shoot! It still didn't feel like enough, no matter how much he tried to imitate the poses of famous models, or how to create that same smoldering gaze Uruha did whenever he looked at the camera. Yeah, that wasn't something just anyone could master, but Yuu didn't mind, he was perfectly fine leaving that particular trait to his handsome prince~

—  


He knew he would be nervous, but not this nervous! The whole ride there was spent repeating simple formal language in his mind over and over for fear of forgetting even that in the midst of his flying thoughts and pounding heart. It shouldn’t be this big of a deal, honestly, just a quick interview and some test shots. Except Yuu was about to lose his mind! And who could blame him? He was about to see if he would be given the chance to finally pursue his dreams! And, quite possibly, get to see the love of his life in person! To be in the same room, to breathe the same air as him, the only man who had managed to send both his heart and mind into such a frenzied state that he even felt the need to go as far as to become a model just to see him with his own eyes!

The raven stood in front of the two glass doors that would lead him to his destiny, taking a deep breath and closing his eyes for a moment to soothe his raging nerves before standing tall and pushing through them, gasping with dread at how packed the foyer was! Aside from the crowds of people sitting and standing in the nice waiting room, the decorations here were actually quite nice. Very modern and savvy. It definitely fit the personality of the magazines this company collaborate with.

There were no places to sit and hardly any spaces big enough for him to stand in! It amazed Yuu how many people actually wanted this, and how many people he was up against. The sheer amount of willpower in everyone’s eyes nerved him a little, and noticing how the majority of the crowd was female, Yuu wondered if he missed something about no males allowed. Crud, Yuu went back to worrying over everything again, looking around, lost, and at the verge of panicking before he was suddenly pulled aside by a small hand, losing his breath and about to scream before he saw who pulled him into an empty corner.

“Sorry, but you looked like you were about to die out there!” Yuu looked down, blonde hair spiking out in every direction like it had been soaked in glue then blown by the wind! And then he looked at the face underneath and blinked at the impeccably done makeup on this stranger’s features, noting that if he hadn’t heard the low voice, this tiny guy could’ve been mistaken for one of the girls out there. 

“I-It’s fine! There’s just so many people and they all look so nice and pretty and here I am, not having expected to be seen by anyone besides the interviewer…” Yuu whispered, definitely shy to be in the presence of someone who carried an aura much more confident than his own. For someone smaller than he is, this guy definitely had a big presence, something Yuu could never hope to achieve. He didn’t look like he was even trying either! Yuu had a lot to learn, and for a second, he wondered if this guy had experience modeling before…

“I’m Yuu!” the raven began in a friendly voice, smiling down at the blonde and reaching his hand out to shake the other’s.

“Takanori.” the shorter was more than happy to reciprocate the raven’s friendliness, noticing quickly how much nicer and genuine this person was compared to all the other people waiting for their interviews. Everyone else had their own agendas, not sparing a thought for anyone else because of the competition. A place like this will eat up people like him, Takanori thought to himself, sighing briefly at the naivety of the raven.

“Are you here for the interview and shooting stuff too?” Yuu asked curiously, leaning back against the wall idly, vaguely registering the voice of some lady calling out names for interviews. “I guess you could say that.” Takanori shrugged, leaning back and crossing his arms nonchalantly while enjoying the simple talking he had with Yuu. His earlier encounters with the other people in the room behind them were more than hostile, something he thought was ridiculous, especially with how intense everyone seemed, as if every little thing they did would affect whether or not they would get chosen. 

Before he could say anything else, the sound of high heels clanked loudly against the linoleum floor quickly. The person in question running right beside them was a crying girl with dyed blonde hair, her hands covering her face as she burst open the doors harder than necessary, the glass hitting the window outside almost hard enough to shatter it into tiny pieces.

“Geez, the magazine industry seems really harsh… Do you think anyone has been chosen yet?” Yuu asked, over hearing rude conversations from some of the girls about the one that just left after being obviously rejected and frowning, really wondering if he even has a chance.

No! He had to stay optimistic about this! Half the battle has been won already by actually showing up!

...Right?

“I’m sure they have a few people in mind already, but don’t let that scare you, they have to interview all the accepted applicants no matter what.” Woah, Takanori was so calm! Either that or he was confident in the fact he would be one of the chosen ones. Yuu envied him, for he was currently dying at the thought he may not get in. Sure, there were people who were freaking out like he was, but there were very few compared to all the others who stood with their heads held high. If Yuu was to ever get this job, he knew he had to become like them, especially if he was going to be standing and doing all kinds of poses in front of a camera, he was a grown man for christ’s sake! And if he was ever going to get Uruha to notice him…

Uruha… Yuu’s mind kept going back to his name, and his lovely face. To see that in person, to even catch a small glimpse of such beauty, Yuu began to once again believe that he could do this. He had to, especially since it was his main goal above this whole modeling job. Sure, he had been inspired to show off and model, even if he had such low self esteem. Still, Yuu thought he drastically paled in comparison to Uruha, but it wasn’t like he actually minded that fact. Uruha deserved to be the most beautiful person in the world, and in his mind, he was.

And then he remembered that he was supposed to be carrying a conversation with someone and not daydreaming for so long, so Yuu snapped out of his daze, his eyes returning to Takanori with a sweet smile.

“You seem to be a lot less dramatic than those people, I’m sure they’d let you in too. Good luck, Takanori!” his head tilted sweetly as he said this, his lips curved just so, and Takanori lost his breath for a moment. He’s definitely getting chosen, the blonde thought to himself, his eyes slightly wider as he stared at the truly kind expression this stranger wore.

“Shiroyama? Shiroyama Yuu? It is time for your interview!”

Yuu froze upon hearing his name. A woman’s loud, commanding voice dragging him out of calming thoughts about his imaginary lover. In an instant, he was torn between feeling confident, and feeling as if he was pushed back into a corner by starving wolves. It was a deadly combination going on in Yuu’s mind and stomach, but in order to get what he’s dreamed of for so long now, he’d push through it. So, with his head held high, Yuu pushed his way through the crowd of girls with much difficulty, feeling so much more motivated when he heard Takanori’s quiet, “Good luck to you too, Yuu!” from behind.

The meeting room was just as stylish and flashy as the lobby everyone was currently in. Stark white with accent colors in each decoration made for a more modern and professional style. The office was large, and very quiet due to how far away it was from the rest of the crowd, and Yuu was thankful for it. The raven assumed the small leather seat in front of the paperwork covered desk was meant for him and after taking a seat and situating himself in a poised manner, Yuu waited, determined to be patient and calm despite the raging fire of anticipation burning in his belly. He could do this, he had good friends, and a new one, supporting him and wishing him to do his best! And then the thought of Uruha plagued his mind once again. A nervous shudder ran down his spine, his hands folding and clasping, not aware of how fidgety he was becoming.

“Good afternoon, Mr. Shiroyama.” So it begins. Yuu’s attention perked up and a smile spread across his lips in his usual friendly way. The lady’s former uninterested expression morphed into one of surprise suddenly, but the action slipped past Yuu’s attention, for she instantly changed back into her usual unforgiving self.

“Afternoon! Miss…” Crap, who was this lady again? Yuu could’ve sworn he saw her name in the email! The name of the lady he would be interviewed by, and he forgot it. Yuu mentally berated himself and squeezed his eyes shut when he realized his mistake. Fortunately, it went completely unnoticed by the rather tall, middle aged lady. If it wasn’t for the wrinkles around her mouth, Yuu would have thought she was his age! He then wondered if everyone here was older than they seemed. He knew Uruha wasn’t some sixty year old man posing as a very, very, very, handsome 32 year old, though, so maybe not. Yuu’s heart fluttered at the thought of him again, not really caring much if he had forgotten that lady’s name now.

“After going over your identity information, you seem to be rather unfit for any other category other than “Teen Trends” as your age, your body type, height, and facial structure are not quite what we’re looking for in anything else.” the older lady’s voice droned on and on about how Yuu wouldn’t be getting the place he wanted; the ones Uruha modeled in. Dejection fell upon his pretty face, not at all knowing why he couldn’t get into the same departments as his dear Uruha, even if it was by chance. But fine, fine, that would have to be enough- wait.

“Excuse me?” Yuu whispered with an expression of absolute disbelief. Had he heard her correctly? He had been so pouty about not getting into other categories that he didn’t even realize the fact that he had just been-

“Teen Trends? Surely you’ve seen that part of our magazines, otherwise you would not have signed up to work here. Your measurements are wonderful for younger people’s clothing!”

Accepted?

Yuu was stunned, nearly unable to breathe as this new information sunk in fully. Would he finally be what he’s dreamed to become for years?!

“Of course, before we can officially set you up as another addition to this industry, we must set up a time get you prepared for some test shots of you with some of the other applicants. How you would look under the lights and with the makeup will also be major deciding factors. The diet plan, as well as working your schedule into your university time one will be given to you once we finally decide.” Alright, Yuu thought to himself. A diet plan wouldn’t be so bad, especially since this company isn’t known for starving their models. Thank God. As for his university schedule, that wouldn’t be too hard either. Thankfully, Yuu only had three classes a week and they lasted no more than a few hours.

“U-Uh, sure! That can work!” the raven haired was more than excited, his face shined exuberantly, his heart thumping and the familiar coils of anticipation tightened even harder in his chest.

“Great! Now, if you wouldn’t mind, please step into the makeup room with the other chosen people. As soon as this group is done with clothing and such, we’ll get you all out on the shooting floor.” Yuu nodded over and over, unable to wait now for this part to be over with, as exciting as it was. Hopefully no one somehow saw him leave the office, he didn’t want any of those scary looking girls to attack him for taking their place.

Something about actually standing in front of a camera, making faces and contorting his body instead of doing so in the comfort of his home in solitude made his stomach do flips. The outfits too! Yuu has spent a moment or two flipping through this area of the magazine in the past, remembering how the boys and girls dressed, and shrugged mentally. They weren’t terribly put together clothes, but now there’s the possibility of him wearing a slightly more feminine outfits, and he really didn’t know how to feel about that. He looked through every page of ech magazine he bought and knows the kinds of things kids are into these days, hopefully they wouldn’t be too girly…

Androgyny was never a negative thing in his mind, hell, Uruha could make any man or woman fall at his knees! And if this is what it took to be as great as the honey blonde, Yuu would suck it up and do it. He couldn’t help the small happy giggle that left him when he thought of things that way.

His interviewer, on the other hand, saw that energy as something she liked. A new, better asset to this company filled with people who are sick of working here without a choice. This is just what Cerulean magazine needs to rise back up to the top! A new, energetic face to brighten up not only the shiny pages of their product, but to motivate others to do their best once more. Good faces were hard to come by, and easy to keep once hired. The more popular they got, the harder it was to leave. You were tied in the better you were, your fate was sealed with the company, except Yuu didn’t need to know about the negatives of that fact.

—

In the guys makeup room sat about seven other males, all sitting in chairs before mirrors with their own makeup artist dolling up their already pretty faces. Yuu instantly felt like he didn’t belong, and maybe he really didn’t. He saw the determination on everyone’s faces and suddenly felt as if he came here for all the wrong reasons. Sure, he aspired to be just a good a model as Uruha, but the goal of seeing that man seemed to outweigh the modeling part, and he felt slightly guilty for that. It was too late to turn back now, though, and Yuu promised himself that he wouldn’t let this chance go to waste. He would model his heart out and earn that respect!

He was sat in an empty chair as soon as a man in a uniform saw him from across the room, the table in front of him covered in both makeup and hair brushes. Yuu had never put any sort of makeup on himself before, if you didn’t count the one time he tried copying Uruha’s eyeliner onto himself and failing miserably. He’d leave that part to the professionals, and said professional was starting at every inch of his face intently. His hand even reaching out to hold his jaw firmly, scrutinizing its shape and outlines, seeming to consider what kind of colors and contours would suit his face.

“U-Um...you are-”

“Kaolu. Now please be still and do not speak until I am finished, okay?” Geez, snappy. Were all the makeup artists here this way? Yuu hoped not, otherwise staying here would become a little more unpleasant than it already was.

Well when this Kaolu guy finally let Yuu out of his firm grip, the raven reached up to gently rub his cheek while his makeup artist left his side to grab a small bag and a couple of powder compacts and eyeshadow pallets, placing them beside the hairbrushes.

Yuu kept squinting his eyes and flinching every time the brushes would press and swipe against his face, causing Kaolu to snap at him more than once and send the shorter pouting each time. He couldn’t help it, it tickled him to death! Even worse, he was told to open his eyes and look up for the mascara and eyeliner, the spoolie feeling like it poked his eye out when he blinked, causing the black liquid to spatter over his cheek. Now that sent Kaolu in a rage. He growled and sent Yuu shrinking back down in his chair, uttering a soft I’m sorry, but that didn’t seem to help at all. Oh God, this was almost too much!

With an annoyed grimace, the taller grabbed a makeup wipe and cleaned it off, covering the wet spot with more foundation and powder before spinning his chair around, away from the mirror and storming off, pointing to him while talking to some lady who looked like she had just finished fixing someone’s hair. Her expression was a little more sympathetic, and Yuu was more than grateful for that. His hopes for her to be nicer were not in vain as she greeted him properly and with a smile, an expression that turned into one that looked more like she had just seen a shooting star not too soon after.

“And your name?” she grinned even wider, her eyes practically sparkling as she gawked at Yuu’s made up face.

“Uh, Yuu? Shiroyama Yuu.” he beamed at her kindness, albeit shyly, and she practically gushed over the way Yuu looked off to the side to avoid her intense gaze for a second.

“How wonderful! I haven’t gotten the chance to work on someone like this in years!” She leaned down a bit to whisper this to Yuu, looking around to make sure none of the other aspiring models had heard her words. “No offense to the other people, though. But wow, Ms. Yuihara really does have an amazing eye for recruits. I mean, look at you.” She turned the chair Yuu was in around slowly, allowing him to face the mirror once more, a soft gasp leaving the raven’s plush lips. His dark eyes went wide at the sight he was greeted with.

“W...What? Wow. That’s actually… me?” Yuu couldn’t believe what he was seeing. He still looked like himself, yes, but now he felt like he fit the part of someone worthy of being accepted here. Upon seeing his “new” self, Yuu felt a surge of confidence flow through him like fire, never having expected to see himself so beautiful like this, his heart thrumming in excitement when he realized he would get to take pictures looking this way? Wow.

“See what I’m talking about? Now, let’s get all this hair fixed and have you dressed up! I’ll make you the star of this show~”

—

Yuu inspected himself in the full length mirror at the other end of the dressing room with another guy in there getting the same clothing fitted a few meters away. All male models participating in the test shoot today were to wear the same plain black yukata, each person expected to give it their own energy during the shoots. He toyed with his hair-sprayed strands gently with newly painted black nails, all the lifting and teasing making it look shorter than it actually was, his dark hair usually reaching his shoulders. Yuu’s hands moved downwards to play with the silver necklace he was lended. Yuu stared at himself a little longer, tilting his head almost in awe of how nice he looked in an otherwise boring outfit. Amazing!

The first group of girls had already taken their pictures dressed up in floral pink kimonos. Nothing too fancy, just sweet and cute. Yuu saw them walking back into their dressing room while he and a couple of other guys headed in, thinking that they were cute in those cozy looking kimonos. When he caught sight of a blonde girl though, his thoughts were dragged away from the retreating girls in favor of Takanori now, wondering if he had gotten chosen as well. He knew he’d see him here again if he had and if both of them made it into the actual agency, but if he didn't? Yuu wouldn’t ever know what became of him, which made him frown because Takanori really seemed like someone Yuu would really love to get to know better! With his cool aura and confident mannerisms, not to mention how beautiful he was, he really did leave a lasting memory with Yuu…

“Next!” called the camera man, waving over to the guy in front of Yuu without looking away from his laptop. Keeping the smaller blonde in the back of his mind, Yuu watched the brunette in front of him walk over to the bright corner of the set, the backdrop a stark white color against the black of their outfits. This stranger had more manly features than Yuu did, his looks just a little above average, not really that great… But then Yuu watched him move, analyzing his hand and body movements as he situated himself in to perfect poses. He really made up for his looks with that, Yuu was intrigued with this type of technique and did his best to study the movements of this guy to the best of his ability, planning to somewhat copy him, as the only experience he has was, again, posing in his bathroom mirror at home, alone.

“Next!”

This was it, Yuu’s chance to finally shine once and for all! I can do this, I can do this, Yuu repeated those four words to himself as he walked over to the set in front of the camera, hoping that whatever charm he had with that hairdresser lady would show up here fully too!

He lifted his hands similarly to the guy before him, raising one to his cheek and the other to his chest, looking at the camera with as confident a gaze as he could possibly muster, the camera guy clicking a few times in between hand and body movements, the raven about to improvise another pose before he heard a heavy door open across the set, separate from the dressing rooms. He heard unfamiliar voices, one riddled with panic and trying to pacify a deeper, more annoyed voice. Yuu turned his attention to that when he saw two men walk out of those doors, one older man, and the other…

Uruha…?!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I feel like there's a lot of work to do on fixing my writing style, but mehhhhh tell me what you think about it!


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm really sorry this took a while, but this chapter was so hard to write, but now that it's out of the way I can FINALLY get to the fun parts!! :D

“Sir, _please_ , this isn’t personal!”

“You expect me to believe that after seeing all _this_ garbage? You’re crazy to think I wouldn’t notice.”

“But sir! Why would we think of such a thing? You are at the top of our list!”

Yuu’s dark eyes widened at who he saw, that deep voice all too familiar. Memorized from every short tv interview and every commercial, Yuu knew exactly who owned that voice. Although, it sounded nothing at all like the smooth and elegant tone he was used to. Uruha sounded _mad_. And by mad, Yuu meant really _really_ mad, to the point it kind of scared him! Why was he so angry? 

Yuu instantly felt sympathetic towards his prince, pushing aside his excitement at seeing him, and on his first day at that, in favor of listening to the conversation between him and the stranger. He looked away just in time, though, to not be caught by a pair of sharper, unforgiving eyes glaring at both him and the rest of the recruits. But why? Shouldn’t Uruha be coming to greet them all with his soft smile, his gentle handshakes and easy going demeanor? 

Uruha scoffed with his nose crinkled in disgust, “Huh, and this is what you’re putting up against me? To think I was worried.” the laugh that left the taller was not filled with any humor, it was crass and dry with no touch of that genuine sweetness Yuu always remembered. _Since when was it this way_ , Yuu wondered sadly.

“Please sir, we weren’t trying to replace you to begin with! Honest!”

Replace? Uruha thought he was going to be replaced? And… once he took a closer look at the blonde’s expression, he was staring everyone in the photo line, including Yuu himself, with a gaze full of contempt and his lovely lips turned downwards in a deep frown. Yet, despite how scared and disappointed Yuu was with this situation being their first meeting, he still found it in himself to think of Uruha as the most beautiful person on the planet when angry. 

No, he can’t really be angry with any of us, Yuu thought. He’s just worried about having extra competition! Yes, a person as perfect as Uruha being worried about such things must mean he doesn’t see himself to be as beautiful as Yuu does, right? Yuu reasoned that this meant his blonde prince was so much more humble than he let on, and the raven found himself smiling at the thought.

“ _You_. You think this is funny?” Yuu’s expression fell from his face when he heard that voice directed at him, that tone filled with such venom it startled the smaller man half to death! He wasn’t laughing, he didn’t think any of this was funny at all! He wanted to apologize instantly and explain that he was simply falling even more head over heels the longer he was in Uruha’s presence!

“It amazes me how someone as plain as you was even allowed to get this far. This company’s taste in models has really gone to shit, hasn’t it.” the bratty blonde placed his manicured hand on his hip, lifting his other hand towards his face to inspect the shiny black nail polish on each jewelry adorned finger with a more than bored expression. “Pathetic.”

_What?_ There’s no way. Yuu’s heart broke upon the realization that those unbelievably rude words were thrown right at him. He hadn’t done anything wrong, had he? A look of dejection fell upon his pretty face, hoping Uruha didn’t mean it. Surely his golden hearted prince wouldn’t truly feel like this… 

“Actually, why don’t all of you just get the fuck outta here already, it’s not like anyone will like you enough to keep you around. We don’t need you.” He sighed impatiently and turned back around to leave with an annoyed roll of his eyes. Yuu desperately wanted to cling to that small strand of hope, but this attitude Uruha was portraying is really making that difficult. “I can’t stand the smell in here, it reeks.” 

He had to just be in a bad mood, everyone had those days! Besides, it wasn’t like he knew Yuu, or how much the raven loved him. He could let this slide, Yuu wouldn’t allow this to change his views on the one person that made his world a little bit brighter. He even watched the walking god leave, ignoring the slow falling of his heart, for now.

The metal door slammed shut with a loud click, Yuu’s eyes not even leaving the door as he replayed each second over again in his mind, stopping at the parts where he caught those glimpses of Uruha’s displeased expressions, sighing at both how gorgeous he was and how hopeless he was for the man. Yuu really hoped he wasn’t actually such a rude person. 

“Okay everyone, back to work. You there, give me a few more shots.” the camera man acted like nothing had even happened, motioning everyone to return their attention to this and disregarding the questions and worried whispers coming from the other guys in the line. Yuu exhaled slowly and looked towards the camera with a little less enthusiasm, eyes hooded instead of bright and lips in a pout. He didn’t think he looked as great anymore considering his one and only just tore down whatever confidence he was clinging onto in order to get him through this. Though apparently, this is just what the photographer was looking for, which Yuu was infinitely grateful for.

“Yes! Perfect! Just like that, hold that pose… Now turn to the left a little bit more.” Yuu noticed how he was kept in front of the camera longer than the other guy before him, a spark of hope rekindling in his now slightly bruised heart. Maybe, just maybe, if he could get in and show Uruha just how worth it he was, the blonde would like him? Even if it was just enough to carry a conversation with Yuu, he would take it. 

-

Yuu was _miserable_. His mind kept going over the events of last week repeatedly until he couldn’t stand it anymore. His arm rested on the table with his head nestled into it, groaning when he thought about the way Uruha spoke without caring a bit about how he would affect the raven. What did he expect? Uruha had no idea how Yuu felt, why should he even be upset? _Ugh_ , Yuu thought he could brush off the blonde’s rude remarks and remain neutral about what happened, but in the end he directed all that sadness and uncertainty towards himself.

_Can I really do this?_ He hadn’t heard back from the agency yet, having refreshed his email a million times yet again before giving up for now and groaning again. He cringed at how pathetic, as Uruha said, he was acting. _Just don’t think about it Yuu_. Easier said than done…

Maybe he really did mean all those horrible things he said, maybe he really didn’t even want to look at Yuu again, maybe this was all a bad idea, maybe-

_Ping ping. Ping ping_.

Yuu vaguely registered his phone ringing right beside his arm, the text alert serving as a distraction from his blue mood, even if for a short time.

-Hey Yuu! u wanna hit the arcade after class today? Boss guy is fine with me leaving early today

It was from Yutaka. Strange how the brunette always texted him when he was in need of it, needless to say it was definitely not unwelcome. 

-Sure bro! Let’s try to win Akira that giant candy bar he’s been wanting. He’s working the late shift tonight, maybe it’ll motivate him or smth 

Yuu smiled to himself at the thought of his friends, reconsidering the reason he was sad for a moment when he remembered how loved he his by the people who stuck by him a lot longer than Uruha ever did.

-Aight man, see you at 6 yeah? And don’t forget your points card like last time!

The raven laughed aloud at the memory. Ever since that day he made it a point to always keep said card in his wallet, never to be forgotten again! He was sure the arcade would cheer him up after such a long week of lamenting in his bed and multiple dark study rooms. Hell, anything beat being alone in his head for long periods of time! This is just what he needed to unwind. 

It would be about six by the time Yuu arrived so he decided to pack up now, stuffing his laptop into his school bag along with whatever papers he was working on and headed that way with his mood slightly lifted. When he arrived Yutaka was already there waiting for him and waiving with his card in hand. Yuu smiled brightly and pulled out an identical card to wave it the same way. He picked up his pace and stood right beside the glowing brunette who then led him inside the small arcade.

Yuu had already told him all about the interview and photoshoot, except the part where Uruha single handedly destroyed his self confidence. He passed off his pouting as simply nervousness about the final verdict, which wasn’t a lie, but it didn’t feel as nerve-wracking as that little event during the shoot. So to think Yutaka thought of bringing him out as soon as he was able to get off early in order to raise his spirits made his heart swell. 

“Dude, bet you I can beat the highest score on expert mode!” 

Yuu snorted at the challenge and took a seat at the nearest game before inserting the coins needed to play. Like the pro he was, he grabbed the joystick and instantly starting mashing the buttons to start the game, causing a burst of lights to go off on the screen in front of them.

“You couldn’t beat that even if you tried. My exalted self, on the other hand, could. Maybe you can learn a thing or two from the master!” 

“Don’t test me Yuu! Besides, you aren’t even that good at this game. Actually, make that literally any game.” He did _not_ just say that. That smug little grin he wore made Yuu scowl and practically punch the buttons down determinedly, somehow exploding more monsters that way. 

“You are so going down, nobody talks to the master like that and lives!” The game flashed the “You Win” screen over and over a mere few seconds later, prompting Yuu to put his nickname into the leaderboard. Now it was his turn to look at Yutaka with his own satisfied smile. “Beat that.” 

“God dammit! This dumbass game is stupid as shit! What the hell is up with this, totally unfair!”

Both Yuu and Yutaka flinched at the loud voice coming from the other side of their row, sighing when they realized it was just another player rage quitting. The voice struck a chord in Yuu, though, and he thought he recognized it from somewhere. But _where_? “Who is that?” Yutaka whispered, shaking his head as the stranger lost their cool. 

“This is the seventh damn time and I’m still stuck on this part? This has got to be rigged, I’m done.” Hold on, it couldn’t be, could it? Yuu had to make sure for himself, so before Yutaka could stop him from getting up, he moved to peek up and over to the other side and gasped.

“Takanori!? What are you doing here?” the tenor in his voice startled the shit out of the smaller blonde and made him nearly fall out of his already unstable seat. Yuu giggled at the sight and hopped off his own chair to make his way around the arcade machine. _Who would’ve thought we’d ever meet again_ , Yuu grinned at how great today was slowly becoming, so so thankful for the chance to see this little guy again.

“Yuu? Uh, sorry you had to hear that, I got kind of frustrated, heh.” the shorter blonde toyed with is hair in embarrassment, smiling with the same confused undertones as Yuu. 

“You know this guy?” Yutaka questioned, wondering what the heck his friend was doing talking to some emotionally unstable guy. The brunette never really trusted these model types, and honestly he’d try to prevent Yuu from getting too involved with them, if he could. But then he goes giving his name to the guy like it was his own!

“Yeah! This is Takanori! I met him at the agency last week, he’s really nice. Takanori, this is Yutaka. He’s one of my best friends!”

“Yuu-”

“Nice to meet you Yutaka, it’s nice to see Yuu has someone to watch him. He seems like an easily excitable guy, doesn’t he.” Yuu nervously rubbed the back of his neck at that, shrugging helplessly when he remembered how scared he was back at the agency. 

“I’m not that bad, I hope. Anyway, did you get in? I was wondering how your interview went all week! Though I don’t doubt they accepted you on the spot.” Takanori seemed to grow a little uncomfortable at the mention of last week, looking away when Yuu’s curious gaze swept over him. 

“Um, no, I didn’t.” he wondered if he should come out and say exactly why, but he figured it wasn’t really that important. But when Yuu’s expression immediately fell into one of sympathy, his brows curved up and voice sweet, Takanori felt like telling him anything he wanted just to make him stop _that_.

“Really? You know they really made a bad decision there. If I were them I’d take you without needing any interview or test shots!” Yeah yeah, Takanori believed him. It’s already happened before, and that went so well. The blonde shrugged uncaringly, seeming totally unbothered by the supposed “rejection”. Man, if only Yuu could master the same level of coolness. “Maybe I should send them a complaint…” 

“Nah, don’t worry about it! Enough about me, how about you? Have you heard back yet?” Despite lying to the man, Takanori was a bit touched at how strongly Yuu reacted over his response. But still, to him, they were still technically strangers so such enthusiasm came off as a bit strange to the blonde. _What a weirdo_.

“I haven’t… But they let me go in for test shots with a couple other guys. I hope those photos score me some points, it would be great to get in.” Takanori agreed, Yuu was genuinely friendly and so _stunning_ , he really wondered why Yuu was so distraught. Perhaps he could put in a good word for him? Not that he needs it, Yuu should really have no problems. Hell, he thought the raven was even prettier than-

“Oh my god and you know what? Uruha decided to pop in and completely shred apart everyone’s self esteem! He just, came right in and-”

“Uruha? What? Yuu? You didn’t tell _me_ about this? That’s crazy!” Sure Yutaka wasn’t all that interested in the whole magazine thing, aside from Yuu’s dreams to apply, but it still kind of stung knowing that he came to this Takanori guy instead of him, and right in front of him!

“Ah, sorry… I didn’t want you to worry, actually…” It was true, Yuu really didn’t want to put all his problems on his friend, even though technically that was what best friends were for. But Yuu got himself into this mess, it didn’t seem fair to complain about such things when it was his fault. But talking to Takanori about it felt different, strangely enough. A total stranger as opposed to his best friend. Yutaka just sighed and shook his head, watching with a slightly disappointed face as Yuu kept rambling on after, Takanori rolling his eyes playfully and smiling at how full of energy this raven haired constantly was. 

“Surely you know him, right? The top model of the agency, the best model in the world! You would’ve never known he was so…”

“Bitchy?” Yeah, he tends to be that way, Takanori thought with a wry smile. Yuu looked a bit dumbfounded by the blonde’s word choice there, using such a term for his prince never crossed his mind!

“W-Well, not exactly the word I’d use… but maybe a little bit?” Yuu sighed and crossed his arms, actually feeling better now that he got that out of his system. “Calling me plain and a waste of time there at the agency. You don’t think he meant it, right? I mean surely he was just worried, or having a bad day?” At that Takanori laughed, having to hold it in all this time, wondering where the hell Yuu got the idea that he was actually a genuinely nice guy! If you didn’t count his act on tv shows and interviews, the guy was a dick through and through, and Takanori knew that better than anyone. 

“Yuu, if you get taken in, promise me you won’t keep that mindset? You’ll get destroyed.” Huh? What was that supposed to mean? Was… Was Uruha really so mean? But then that would shatter whatever image Yuu had for his prince! The one who was always so courteous and elegant, who spoke and laughed so softly. Surely that person had to truly exist somewhere in the model! 

“No, maybe not… I have to keep trying!” Maybe he was purposefully choosing ignorance, after all, no one was how they seemed, especially if they’re a celebrity. But Yuu _felt_ that something was amiss with all that negativity towards his Uruha. Such an intense 180 degree change in someone must be the cause of something else.

-

Another week passed since his and Takanori’s coincidental meeting ended with exchanging phone numbers and promising to keep in touch. Yuu was just about to check his phone for any new messages when an email popped up on his lock screen, which had an Uruha wallpaper of course. He nearly screamed when he saw the sender was from the agency.

Applicant accepted, scheduled for further briefing on Tuesday… Yuu skimmed through the entire messaged once he opened it up, grinning madly to himself. He had a feeling this would happen the closer it got to today, lo and behold it did! This was only the beginning, Yuu thought. Tuesday came much faster than Yuu expected an he was thankful for that, he thought the anticipation would kill him! He’d have to miss out on his morning class that day but he didn’t mind, they would adjust everything to his schedule today no problem! 

When he arrived it was him and some other girl in the same office they had the interviews in. The same lady was there too, holding two folders with lists and contracts, all of which Yuu had to sign. “Once you two have finished going through the papers and giving your signature, you’ll officially be signed under Cerulean! Today will most likely be the easiest one you’ll get, so please prepare yourself to work hard.” Oh yeah, Yuu knew for sure they would receive nothing but his best. 

This new motivation spurred on from not only wanting to show Uruha that there was nothing to worry about when it came to him, but also from the texts he and Yutaka, Akira, and Takanori shared before today. With all this support from his friends, Yuu felt as if he could take on the world. At times he felt as if he was overreacting with all this model business, being so worried and nearly obsessed with the whole idea, but he was calm! Kinda, but for the most part he was sated enough to get through with the initiation process. 

Yuu kept looking through all the papers, filling out his school schedule and signing a few places here and there, double checking the part where it says he won’t be starved and grinning with relief. No problems there! Traveling looked like it would be fun too, he’d have to be doing lots of that. Publicly speaking was a requirement too, and that didn’t sit well with Yuu, but he’d have to get over it. He made a face at the thought of having to be filmed on tv and recorded for interviews as well, though he was sure his popularity wouldn’t reach high enough to warrant that, he hoped.

Once everything was signed and read over, Yuu handed the folder back to the lady, given another one in return holding a copy of everything he had just gone through for personal records. The girl next to him had done the same, but with a completely expressionless face. Yuu thought she looked like a mannequin.

“Alright, thank you, both of you. The other new models will arrive shortly, for now I’ll have my intern give you a tour of the agency. A few of our designers are here and so eager to meet you!” The lady got up with the folders and opened the door to let the girl and Yuu out, her voice slightly echoing off the tiled walls when she called out.

“Matsumoto? They’re ready, would you mind showing them around, please?” Well, Yuu wasn’t expecting that. Takanori walked up from the side with a guilty expression when he approached Yuu, wishing he would’ve told him but for some reason this felt like a better way to show things.

“Takanori?” Yuu whispered with a small smile, really wondering why they kept bumping into each other like this. The smaller blonde knew that Yuu would be here eventually, all because of his charm and natural pretty looks, but why didn’t Yuu looked surprised like last time? “At least you got in somehow?” He giggled softly, making Takanori roll his eyes with a small grin. 

“I guess. I’ve been in this position too long really, I doubt they’ll let me get in at this point. But this job isn’t too bad, I get paid vacation days and free makeup!” Yuu watched as Takanori smiled wider, his gaze softening at the sight. He felt a little bad for the guy, having to wait this long and all to reach what he really wanted when Yuu got it right away. The raven felt as if he should apologize, but what good would that do? He decided to keep the mood light and happy by going along with everything Takanori said, following after him when he started down the hallway. 

“Everything is pretty much kept close together, all the dressing rooms and offices are on this side of the building, and upstairs. There’s only one studio here, the rest are scattered around town. You guys will be using those more than the one here.” Yuu listened intently, looking around at the lavish decor and furniture, the whole place looking as if it was straight from some fancy, well, magazine! It already looked like a lot of fun just being here! 

Once they got to the end of the building after a couple of turns, Takanori turned around and led the two new models back to the office where the girl, who kept silent the entire time, immediately left after grabbing her bag. Yuu wondered why she was in such a rush, leaving without a word like that. He shrugged and turned back to face Takanori who opened his mouth to speak before Yuu could ask anything.

“Sorry I didn’t tell you before. The intern thing wasn’t my plan originally.” The shorter took a seat on the small ottoman in the hall by the empty office across the one they met in earlier. Yuu assumed he should follow suit and sat right next to him on a separate seat, legs crossed and head tilted curiously.

“So what stopped you? I mean, who could they possibly have chosen over you?” Takanori laughed bitterly at the memory, sighing before he started again.

“When I said I’ve been here for a _long_ time, I mean it. Mrs. Yuihara had to choose between me… and Uruha.” The blonde smiled widely, but Yuu saw no happiness in it, not even a trace. “And take a wild guess who they chose!” he snorted, waiting for Yuu to answer with a smile still on his lips.

“Uruha… huh.” Yuu pouted and looked to his feet, not liking how that sounded. Takanori has been stuck in this position for such a long time while Uruha got to live out his dream. “Why won’t they let you try again? That’s so unfair!” Yuu was fuming at this point, crossing his arms with a huff and Takanori thought it was the most adorable sight he’d ever seen!

“This is the only other time they decided to choose some new people. When Uruha heard about it, _man_ was he pissed. That guy is honestly such a brat! Yuu, trust me on this one, he’s been practically treating me like his slave!” Takanori’s eyes went wide in exclamation, doing a lip trill when his back hit the wall after his small outburst. “I’m not his damn intern, Mrs. Yuihara hired me to her, not that bitch. And you know? I wouldn’t be so mad at him for being picked over me if he wasn’t such a jerk about it.” 

The reality about Uruha sent Yuu gasping softly, everything he thought he knew about this seemingly ethereal man being reevaluated. Who would’ve thought such a kind man could actually be so heartless…

“Taka… You’ve done nothing wrong! What kind of guy is so…” Yuu frowned deeply and it tore at the blonde’s heartstrings. He sighed knowingly and shrugged. Takanori thought the same things up until Uruha showed his true colors once chosen. He was so charming and easy going, as if nothing in the world bothered him, he had it all in the palm of his hand. Takanori knew for sure he was going to lose to the guy, and really he had no qualms about losing to such a gorgeous man. But the moment he learned of Takanori’s internship, he began to treat the shorter with as much sass as everyone else received! Unsurprisingly, he only gives the media his best face, and the thought made Yuu’s stomach turn. _It really is like this_ … 

“Yeah, I know… That beanpole bitch, he even had the nerve to order me around the day everyone came in for interviews. Scope the place out, catch the possible competition, and tell him about it. It really isn’t any of his business anyway.” So Uruha showing up that day wasn’t just by chance? Yuu wondered about why the heck this world famous model would just pop in and wreck everyone’s self esteem randomly. Thankfully Takanori was clearing it all up for him, especially the parts about his supposed “ _prince_ ”.

“And honestly, I told him about this pretty raven haired who was sure to be chosen. He really didn’t like the sound of that and before I could stop him, he bust in where all of you guys were taking photos. I’m sorry he yelled at you like that, Yuu. He really isn’t as kind as you think.” Yuu’s eyes widened at what he had just heard, cheeks reddening quickly.

“Y-You thought me to be pretty enough to rival Uruha?” he whispered meekly, looking to the other man with hope shimmering in his eyes. Takanori lost his breath again at how damn cute the raven was acting, totally not registering the fact that he had indeed indirectly said exactly that. But it wasn’t like he was ashamed of it, Yuu was _beautiful_ and there was no harm in letting him know that.

“Well, duh? Yuu, have you ever looked at yourself? Like, really taken the time to look at yourself. I can’t believe you feel inferior to that bitch.” Yuu laughed out loud at the millionth time Takanori said that word, shaking his head at how bad mouthed his friend was. 

“You call him that a lot.” Yuu said between chuckles, not bothered by the vulgar term aimed at Uruha anymore.

“Of course I do! I call him whatever I want when he’s not around! If word got around that I said such things, Mrs. Yuihara wouldn’t be too happy, even though he doesn’t treat her much better. He’s got the whole agency wrapped around his finger. No matter how terrible he is, they can’t let their biggest money maker go.” As sad as that was, it made loads of sense to Yuu. The more he thought about his situation this was, the more his heart changed, little by little. 

“Well, don’t worry Takanori… I’ll use this chance to prove him wrong. He’ll see, Shiroyama Yuu is here to show him he isn’t as high and mighty as he thinks!”


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'M SORRY FOR THE WAIT AGAIN but here you go!!!!!!

All preparations had been set in place and his schedule with the agency had been finalized to organize a shoot due to appear in the next issue of Harajuku Street Fashion. His photos would also make an appearance on a multitude of social media accounts to showcase him as one of their newest upcoming models. He doubted he’d get any further than that when it came to his publicity, much unlike the popularity of Uruha. That man had _runway_ shows in Milan and New York, a dream Yuu was beginning to reconsider. 

As soon as Yuu had learned of Uruha’s true nature his love for the man and his dreams inspired by him had been taken back for deep rethinking. Was he really that delusional? To basically live his life for the guy instead of thinking for himself. 

In a fit of frustration Yuu went back to the arcade alone the day after the tour and sat at the same zombie alien destroyer game, his fingers hitting at the buttons with increasing pressure. “That guy… Oh, I’ll show _him_ who’s pathetic and plain!” He wasn’t afraid to admit that maybe he was pretending Uruha’s face was on those aliens instead. Petty, but it really helped relieve some stress. 

“Jokes on him, I actually got accepted! He has no choice but to deal with me. I’ll show him…” the raven haired wasn’t a rude or violent person by nature, but if anyone were to walk in on him practically smashing up the arcade machine you wouldn’t guess he was gentle right away. 

Playing games with an angry expression turned into eating lunch with contracted brows and to sleeping with a deep set frown. He hardly smiled and that sent his friends at school into a panic. It was like Yuu had turned into a different person! 

“Hey man… You good?” 

“Yes, very intelligent question Akira.” Yuu murmured to himself before looking to his papers on the desk with a pout. He still hadn’t told Akira about anything that happened. It was still a sore memory for Yuu, but by the looks of it Yutaka had already done that for him. Bless that man. “Yeah I’m okay. I just hope that my first shoot goes really really well. It has to! I’m pretty sure the rest of my career depends on it.” with a loud groan Yuu’s head landed in his arms on the desk, his face hidden in his sleeves. 

“Yuu, don’t let him get to you. A lot of famous models like him are shallow and superficial. You aren’t! I’m sure your fans will see that, and maybe his fans will flock to you instead!” Yutaka spoke and walked over as soon as he entered the lecture room and leaned on the edge of the desk. His voice is always so comforting, Yuu thought. 

“Yeah! Pfft, just steal all his fans!” Akira’s eyes lit up upon hearing such a plan, grinning widely and patting Yuu on the back a little harder than necessary. Yuu shot up at the wack, rubbing his shoulder blade with a pointed glare towards the blonde’s direction. “He’d freak! A prissy dickhead like him would definitely rethink messing with you again. Huh... prissdick.”

“And how do you suppose I do that? Uruha puts on the perfect show of being deep and genuine despite his true nature. People just eat it up, especially when it’s coming from such a perfect human…” Yuu could still hear Akira and Yutaka snickering next to him and he tried to hold back laughter of his own. Though not soon after Yuu sighed at the realization that yes, Uruha is still damn hot and that’s something he can never compete against. His friends sighed with him and nodded in defeat. Not that they thought Yuu wasn’t attractive, although they felt it a bit strange to call their best bro pretty, it was still apparent that the raven hair’s heart was so much more beautiful than some rude top model’s. It would be incredibly difficult to help Yuu communicate that to the public when there was already a shark taking over the agency. 

This was gonna be a lot harder than they thought… 

-

“Can these even be considered clothes? They’re practically dressing me up in weird… random fabrics they found laying around!” 

“Oh come on, it isn’t _that_ bad. They’ve made people wear worse, but trust me, no one will care. They’ll all be looking at your face anyway.” 

The shorter blonde laughed nervously at the reaction Yuu was having to the latest style in Tokyo’s underground fashion scene. The provided clothing was indeed a few torn strips of wildly patterned fabric, but nothing too atrocious. Now, Yuu was no stranger to the darker sides of fashion that places like Tokyo could only offer, in fact he liked that kind of style the most. Hell, at this point in time he really liked anything but the flashy outfit currently on his body. It was so… strange and complex that it would take another person to help him get it off. 

Plain pants and a torn black t-shirt with strange scarves hanging over his neck and shoulders looked as if they would weigh Yuu down, but they were light and airy much to Yuu’s relief. He could at least move in this clothing which in turn would make it easier to pose. The raven took a deep breath and nodded in defeat.

“My face huh… If that’s what’ll make me more popular, I’ll take it.” Anything to get ahead of his now dreaded enemy. Takanori laughed again at how strongly Yuu opposed the reign of this agency’s king, knowing exactly what he meant by becoming more popular. After all those years of Uruha’s lack of kindness, he was more than happy to see Yuu feel the same way. They both wanted to see the downfall of such a fake person, as ridiculous as it sounded. For a moment Takanori wondered if it was even worth his time to put effort into such a goal, but then he thought of Yuu and his cute smile, the small gap in between his two front teeth, and the way his cheeks turned pink when he was happy. The blonde smiled softly to himself. 

Yeah, if it was Yuu becoming the top model of this world famous agency, Takanori would do as much as he could to make that a reality. Taking Kouyou down was a big plus too, but from here on he resolved to ensuring the success of Yuu above all.

“That’s the spirit! Now go on out there, the faster you get it done, the faster you can take all this stuff off.” Not that he wanted to see or help Yuu with that, nope. Just concerned for his well-being. 

With an encouraging nudge from the shorter Yuu finally walked out into the shooting area. There was a green screen and multiple lights on either side of it. Compared to the test shoot a few weeks ago, this felt a little more… daunting. This was the real deal, and there was no one else here but the photographer, and Yuu. 

Before, with all the other guys posing and all, everyone had a common goal and didn’t dare make fun of one another. Seeing someone go before Yuu made it a little easier for him to build up the courage to get in front of the camera too, but now that he was all alone, he felt silly. 

“Good afternoon Mr. Shiroyama! I’m Shinzo and I’ll be your photographer today!” A man Yuu had never met before approached him out of nowhere the second he stepped out onto the floor. The raven was startled for a moment, but the friendly open air around this guy helped to ease his nerves a bit. The other man extended his hand to Yuu for a handshake, one that he accepted nervously, but he smiled nonetheless. 

“Good afternoon, sir…”

“I’m told it’s your first official shoot. That explains your nervousness. Just breathe Mr. Shiroyama, all will be okay!” 

Like it was that easy to just relax! But Yuu simply nodded without a word, cringing to himself at how out of place he must seem here. All the models under this company’s contract had such a powerful presence! Yuu knew he lacked that, and oh how he wished he could feel the same as he did on his first day here. Days of nothing but pep talking and posing in his bathroom mirror only for Yuu to come here shaken and unsure. He mentally berated himself for letting all that built up confidence just blow away at the sight of all these lights and cameras. 

“Just take a few steps there in front of the backdrop and face the camera. I’ll start with a couple adjustment shots and then we’ll go from there.” Yuu took this chance to take a deep breath and calm himself. Maybe by pretending that these shots are the real ones will give him that quick adrenaline boost. The first few shutter sounds from the camera snap Yuu out of his nervous thoughts, the sound further proof that this is reality. 

“Alright… Perfect, now turn to the right and lift your shoulders just a little.” The next few test shots commence and Yuu heaves a sigh of relief when they’re over. That wasn’t too bad. 

“Okay, I need closeups of the outfit. The makeup pairs wonderfully with the bright colors!” Okay? Yuu didn’t think so, that’s for sure. Man, he really hoped that not all shoots would feel as humiliating as this one… But if it was so, he’d have to man up eventually and just own it. Yes, Uruha had started out this way as well, especially in more obscure and older magazines. He hadn’t looked at those in a while, considering that he wasn’t Yuu’s idol anymore… really. _Then why do I keep thinking of him! I don’t like him anymore, nope! Stop applying him to your life Yuu. Idiot._ But to forget about the major impact Uruha had on his life? That would be impossible. 

Yuu shook his head to prevent anymore thinking. If he was gonna get any work done he couldn’t just daze off into space like that, and pictures of a still body in the same pose weren’t going to be fun to look at. Just get famous, that’s the goal! Take over Uruha’s fanbase, become the number one! Make him jealous, anything to make that guy understand that Yuu wasn’t some plain and boring man. Soon Uruha would realize that Yuu was so much more. 

After a couple more shots focusing on the design of the clothing the photographer waved his hand to call Yuu over.

“Take five, we’ll get back to taking more pictures after I go through these. What do you think?” Yuu sighed with relief, at least he was given the choice to sift through his shots. For the most part all of them were actually quite nice. Clear, vibrant, but still a bit boring and static. 

“Um, how about we go with the ones that show the outfit at each angle? And then take a few face closeups, you can barely see the makeup from that distance.” Despite Yuu’s lack of on the job knowledge, he had studied plenty of other professional photos and read over article upon article covering this topic. Thankfully he didn’t sound like an idiot as he gave his ideas to the man next to him. The photographer nodded and made multiple sounds of agreement, his fingers pulling up another tab on his computer and making short notes beside certain photos.

“Excellent idea! We’ll be sure to do that, okay! Now go sit for a bit, the next round will be much longer and we haven’t anytime for laziness!” Yuu laughed at his enthusiasm, nodding and waving his hand as he walked away to another part of the room. This corner had a few chairs arranged in a circle, the door to enter set right beside the chair he sat next to. Yuu took a deep breath and recounted all his actions during the first part of the shoot, humming a tune softly to himself as he waited for the photographer to finish setting up once more. 

All seemed quiet and reverent, that is until the doors close to Yuu busted open! What the hell was with the doors just bursting open around here! If this kept up, Yuu didn’t think he could stay and survive another heart attack. 

And then he saw the culprit. 

“Oh no…”

“Excuse you?” 

Yuu winced in his seat and his body tired to curl in on itself at the sight and the sound of the one person he had hope to eternally avoid… emphasis on ‘eternally’. Though it seemed like the universe was against that wish of his, and Yuu was simply forced to interact with this demon.

Uruha’s brows furrowed and he clicked his tongue in distaste at the sight of a pathetic Yuu, his heels clicking against the floor as he sauntered around the glass coffee table that separated the two models.

“If anything, I should be the one saying no. Ugh, this is going to be a nightmare…” Yuu’s form shifted dramatically from sitting in a relaxed position with his feet on the floor to his knees against his chest and his hands covering his mouth. _Oh my god what the fu-_

“You!” Uruha frowned deeply and placed one hand on a tilted hip, his other adjusting the black-rimmed glasses on his face.

“I’ve been forced to take you to Hokkaido for a shoot. _My_ shoot. The dumbass higher-ups decided to pair you to my unlucky self so you can get experience or whatever. By the looks of your shit outfit, you’re gonna need it.” The taller blonde of course had his face professionally done up and body fully decked in designer clothing, A white long sleeved shirt with a black scarf, black pants and dress shoes. _Pfft, and he calls me plain_. Yuu giggled quietly to himself but quickly caught it and shut up the second Uruha’s eyes flitted to him in an annoyed manner. 

“Uhm,”

“Well don’t just sit there! Shinzo! Get this finished already, we’re leaving tonight!” Hold up. Tonight?! Why the heck didn’t anyone notify him of this? 

“U-Uh, of course! Mr. Shiroyama, we’ll get this wrapped up quickly, come on.” The photographer looked positively nervous, his smile obviously forced and posture defeated. Did Uruha really treat everybody like this? _Everyone_?! He was tempted to ask and confront him about this, but by the sound of the metal door clinging shut the stuck up blonde had already left. Go figure.

Reluctantly, Yuu sat up and left his seat, not very excited to get back to posing, but the manner in which Uruha treated the poor photographer definitely further inspired him to do his best and create a name for himself and his good deeds. Surely he could win over his fan’s hearts from the inside out! 

-

By tonight, Yuu didn’t think motherfucking _three_ in the morning! He had stayed up all day after the shoot, and into the night waiting for any sort of indication they he’d be leaving his apartment for the airport. Little did he know, his destination wasn’t there. At the stroke of two in the morning he received a phone call from the agency informing him that there was a driver sent to pick him up, and that’s how he got here, on the pavement right in front of a small jet with Uruha standing next to him. Yuu peeked over, the blonde standing with his arms crossed, sunglasses on, and his hair and scarf waving in the air emitted from the jet’s turbines. 

He had to admit, even now Uruha looked so cool… No! No he did not. Well, kind of… 

The shorter turned away his gaze, facing the jet and watching as they were motioned to board it. Uruha went ahead to go in front of him, as if it was only natural to allow him to go before anyone else. It was a small action, but at this point anything that the blonde did annoyed Yuu just a little bit more than if anyone else did the same thing. Petty, but Yuu was learning to accept it.

Once inside, the interior was amazingly lavish! It was decorated like a mansion with lamps and curtains with only two expensive looking leather seats where they were to sit for the flight situated a few feet across from each other. Oh great, they’d be sleeping right next to each other. Fantastic. 

He took a few more seconds to scan the area at the entrance of the jet, feeling totally out of place in such a luxurious area, but Uruha turned from in front of a table, tapping his foot impatiently and once again crossing his arms.

“Well? We’re waiting on you.” With a roll of his eyes Uruha stepped back around and settled into his seat, looking as if being in Yuu’s presence was a terrible chore, and while Yuu decided that he didn’t like Uruha as much anymore, that still hurt. His confidence fell even further and without another sound Yuu simply nodded and headed towards his seat. The lights in the plane dimmed and the engines made a louder noise as the door behind the raven shut automatically, locking into place at the same time Yuu clicked his seatbelt over his lap. Yeah, this would be so much fun. 

The plane took off without any troubles, the two models feeling very tired to say the least, especially Yuu, who busied himself with watching Uruha turn to switch his sunglasses out for a sleeping mask. Strange, Yuu has never seen his bare eyes, and nobody was here, why hide them? Yuu decided not to ask or think about it anymore, still a bit bummed at Uruha’s bad attitude. But again, that didn’t stop him from watching as the blonde set up his iPod and earbuds before leaning back in his seat and remaining still. 

“Out like a light, huh.” Yuu whispered, though he knew Uruha wouldn’t hear him. _He probably wouldn’t even if he didn’t have earbuds in_ … Yuu sighed to himself, curling up in his seat and resting his arms on the armrest, his chin nestled in the sleeves of his jacket. Even now he couldn’t help but to steal more glances at Uruha. Some things never change do they? Yuu’s heart ached at the sight of the person he’s admired for years, right in front of him. He thought about how much he’s dreamed of a moment like this, where he could breathe the same air as his prince… Never did he imagine it would be like this. 

Yuu sighed again and closed his eyes, the ride only supposed to last no more than a few hours, but he wanted to sleep anyway just for a little bit. And just like his blonde counterpart, he was out, breathing softly and completely oblivious to Uruha lifting the corner of his mask to peek at the smaller raven.


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It has been 7 months... To all those who are still here, I AM SO SORRY. Life has gotten in the way to the point where writing seemed impossible to grasp. I love this story so much and I swear to you IT WILL BE COMPLETED! I hope this chapter makes you all feel a bit better, I miss it so much.

“Hey.”

Yuu was barely able to open his eyes, much less comprehend what the voice of another was saying at five in the morning. So upon hearing the low voice of his long time crush first thing when he woke up, Yuu _swooned_ , and couldn’t help the smile that spread across his lips, eyes still closed. The impatient, demanding tone from the blonde was totally lost on Yuu and that made Uruha even more annoyed if possible. He tapped his foot next to the slowly opening exit, already prepared to leave the jet whereas Yuu remained buckled in his seat all curled up, his heart pounding blissfully in his chest. Oh, if only he could wake up to that voice every morning.

“Hm? I’m awake…” Yuu murmured happily, on cloud nine the more he replayed that voice in his head. He wanted to hear it again, wanting to listen to such a wonderful greeting from his prince to start his day with and was tempted to ask. So he did.

“Uruha?” he called out softly, finally opening his eyes just enough to look around only to see that nobody was there. The sight of nothingness shocked Yuu awake, instantly worried that he was late and left alone on the jet! But that wasn’t all that worried him. He hoped and prayed that his enemy didn’t see or hear him at all just a few seconds ago. How _embarrassing_ … Yuu cringed at how excited he got, covering his face with both hands forcefully and groaning loudly. “Idiot.” 

He would’ve remained in that seat all day long, completely ashamed of letting go like that, but there were more pressing matters, like not making anyone wait on him again. Reluctantly, the raven haired unbuckled and grabbed his only suitcase from the top rack on the wall. Once outside Yuu took in his surroundings, the sun already so bright, stinging the raven’s eyes despite shielding them with his hand. Just ahead he could see Uruha walking up the steps to get inside the airport. He was already so far away! Just how long did he leave Yuu there?! In the clumsiest manner possible Yuu fled down the stairs, almost tripping a few times and actually dropping his suitcase down the rest of the narrow steps. 

Well, it was a wonderful morning while it lasted.

Upon arriving at the boarding gates of his flight Yuu noticed Uruha standing next to yet another guy whose composure was just as nervous as all the other people Yuu saw the blond talk to. As sad as it was, he now knew exactly why people reacted like that around him. 

Situated next to the both of them, to Yuu’s utter amazement, were multiple suitcases in all sizes possible stacked up on each other almost two meters high, all of which showing off some shiny designer logo on what Yuu thought was an otherwise plain design. _Plain… Ugh_!

“About time.” Uruha remarked with a sigh that reeked of arrogance. The man next to him, Yuu figuring this guy was to be their manager for the day, shifted uncomfortably at Uruha’s annoyed tone, making Yuu wonder just how badly the man he had admired so deeply would treat these people who were only here to help. Yes, Uruha had looks that could make people crumble, and yes he had such a powerful, charismatic aura, but that did not give him any excuse to order people around like he did. As much as Yuu wanted to try and be nice to him anyway, just like everyone else who worked with Uruha, he couldn’t bring himself to blindly try to please him just because he was famous. And his crush. Especially because he was his crush.

So, in his own stubborn way, Yuu huffed and blatantly ignored the model, even throwing in a roll of his eyes to make his stance even more clear. Oh and the look on Uruha’s face after that was so worth it. A single brow raised from behind his sunglasses and his lip twitched like he was about to say something but held it back, those small movements making it nearly impossible for Yuu to hold back a little victory smirk, but he somehow managed, thank goodness. He so had to tell Takanori about this later. 

“I have the car ready outside. I’ll be taking both of you to the hotel, you must be tired from the flight. The show doesn’t start until nine tonight so rest up until then!” The man still seemed a bit traumatized to even speak a greeting to Yuu, much less talk about anything else that wasn’t related to their purpose here. He seemed like a very quiet, hardworking man who took his job very seriously. Someone like this seemed to be very high status as well, even higher than Uruha Yuu presumed. Even then Yuu really felt bad for him. So as they left the airport, Uruha of course walking in front of the both of them without carrying a single bag, Yuu stayed behind and helped with the cart of junk, smiling genuinely to the man next to him.

“Thank you for helping us out, sir. We’re in your care.” the look Yuu left on his face was one of real surprise, followed by such relief it seemed like all that tension from a moment ago simply vanished from his body. How refreshing it was to speak with someone who had actual manners… 

“Thank you, Shiroyama. I’ll do my best.”

Once all the bags were loaded into the trunk of the small vehicle their manager unlocked the doors for them to get inside. Uruha went in first on the right, taking the seat right behind the driver’s seat and settling just fine… Meanwhile Yuu was near breakdown when he saw the very small space between the two of them, their seats connected with only a small middle seat to separate them. Which meant Yuu would have to be within at least a few centimeters of the most gorgeous man on the planet for god knows how long until they reached the hotel, and right after he pulled that bratty stunt!

He really had no choice here, but motivating himself to get inside while standing with the car door open wasn’t going to get him anywhere. Uruha didn’t seem to care, though, making Yuu wonder what his deal was. Usually he’d make a fuss and tell the raven hurry up and stop making everyone wait, but he was strangely silent this time, and Yuu felt he liked it better this way. With that kind of motivation in mind he finally slid into the car and settled in his seat, holding his smaller suitcase close (his didn’t fit with all of Uruha’s shit) to himself tightly. 

He’s never been this close to the taller blonde, nor did he think he would ever get the chance to do so, and while Yuu didn’t necessarily hold Uruha on such a high pedestal anymore, the fact that he was no more than a few centimeters away shook Yuu to the core.  
The shorter sat completely stone still, his limbs stiff as he simply looked out the window to his right, trying his best to avoid any sight of Uruha beside him. Then Uruha decided to shift in his seat. 

Yuu tried desperately to keep still and quiet when he felt the slightest brush against his arm, his whole body feeling as if it had just been dropped into freezing water. 

_Oh my god oh my god oh my god why me_?!

The other finally stilled and Yuu remained in his place, eyes wide and hands clutching the suitcase even tighter, still unbearably affected by their proximity. His senses were in overdrive, every part of him hypersensitized. That, Yuu realized, was the first actual physical contact he’s ever had with Uruha, his demoted prince. It really didn’t take much to send someone off the planet when their crush was involved, and yes, Yuu would still admit it… He still had the biggest crush on this man, not that he would ever do anything about it now. He was too busy getting over him. 

In such a small space the cologne Uruha was wearing, though light in scent, became a little more concentrated in the backseat of the car, its scent driving Yuu nuts as he shifted in his seat uncomfortably. Scent, and proximity made Yuu’s mind go wild with imagining a scenario where Uruha would lean over just a little bit more and speak to him in that low voice of his.

And then the car stopped. The vehicle bumped a bit, causing Uruha’s arm to rub against Yuu’s shoulder once more. This time Yuu actually flinched and pressed his lips together tightly, his thighs tense and voice nearly escaping in a tiny squeak. 

_Fucking god_ how much more embarrassing could this day get?! Nobody but Yuu seemed to notice anything, which make this a little easier. His face was flushed red and he knew he would _die_ if Uruha was to look over at him. Yuu would never hear the end of it. If Uruha knew how much he affected Yuu, then Yuu would never be able to come out on top. 

He just had to calm down. Deep breathes. In and out, in and- 

“The fuck are you doing?”

_Fuck_! Uruha had looked over from staring out the window to see Yuu clutching his poor suitcase so tightly his knuckles turned white. Yuu wanted to open the car door and fall out when he realized Uruha saw him in such a flustered state. His face went even redder and his hands only held the bag tighter to his chest. With Uruha’s accusing eyes on him, a look that seemed to judge his every move, how could he not panic? 

“Mind your own business!” He snapped rather harshly at the blonde sitting next to him. Yuu didn't mean for his tone to sound so rude and defensive, he was just having a mental breakdown! He almost felt bad when he saw Uruha’s expression change into one similar to earlier in response. But this time he frowned and sighed in annoyance instead of snapping back.

Yuu felt terrible. Why did Uruha have to make conversation between them so difficult? Yuu could've just answered like a normal person and perhaps even make light conversation, but he would rather drown before he told Uruha the truth behind his panicked mannerisms. 

It was too late to apologize now, though. Yuu had to keep up this facade of not caring or crushing on Uruha. He had to in order to win! They were rivals. Enemies! Yuu couldn't show him how much he adored him. Yuu couldn't give in, not even when his scent was so intoxicating and making Yuu utterly weak. Yuu refused to lose. So they remained silent the rest of the trip, both of them unmoving, their eyes set on the horizon as they approached their destination. 

-

Yuu could barely sit still in his seat. The view of such a grand building before them sent him giddy with excitement at the thought of staying at such a luxurious hotel! This was hands down the fanciest place Yuu had ever had the chance to go near! 

Once they parked at the entrance, the manager helped Uruha unpack. Well, more like did all the unpacking as Uruha simply strutted inside with one of his designer tote bags -check: purse- his sunglasses remaining on his face. Yuu eagerly ran inside the hotel lobby with this suitcase in the meantime, passing the taller model through the automatic doors, simply stunned by how expensive everything looked. His eyes darted from the desks to the fountains, and to the many leather chairs and sofas that dotted the large lobby. Yuu swore he would be charged a million bucks if he so much as dropped a single gum wrapper in here. 

And as amazing as it all was, Yuu felt totally out of place. He felt alone in the center of the room, simply clutching his small bag to himself helplessly. His eyes went wide at all the uptight looking people here, presumably here for business stuff, and other far more important things. Everyone looked so well dressed. Well, overly dressed for something as simple as sitting on a sofa and reading a newspaper, Yuu thought to himself. 

And here Yuu was, dressed in jeans and a plain graphic tee with a cheap little suitcase. Then there Uruha was, always one step above him in his shiny black boots and fashionable scarf and shirt and designer sunglasses… honestly screw that guy for having such undeserving good looks. 

The blond simply stood a few feet from Yuu as their manager rushed to the front desks to check them in, his fair arms crossed as he made sure to not even spare a passing glance at Yuu. Perhaps Yuu deserved this more cold treatment in return for his earlier bratty behavior, but Uruha was a bitch too and refused to own up to anything and make peace. Ugh, and to think he’d be stuck with this annoying little kid for the next day. Great.

“Gentlemen, here are your room cards. I’ll be back in a few hours to take you both to the show for the clothing fitting and makeup so please don’t be late! Please relax and enjoy the hotel’s complimentary amenities until then. See you at 7!” 

Yuu just watched as their manager simply disappeared through the hotel entrance, leaving the two models alone together. The raven haired looked down at the decorated room card in his hand before looking around him again, wondering if he should just sleep until it was time to leave so he wouldn’t be forced to endure being alone, in a hotel, with Uruha. Except, he was equally as torn to stay awake and bask in any attention he could possibly get from the blond. He was just as happy to be walking around with him, just as long as he could look at him. A miserable existence, but for some reason Yuu didn’t mind too much at the moment, details weren’t important right now. 

Yuu was still staring at the card in his hands as all kinds of contradicting thoughts ran through his head. He was even too busy to notice Uruha walking off in the other direction. He managed to get a couple of meters away before Yuu looked up with a panicked expression. 

“Where are you going?” Uruha sighed as if Yuu had asked him the dumbest question a human could ever ask, he didn’t even bother to answer at first. “I don’t know where anything is…” Uruha still ignored him and began to walk away once more. “Hey! I can’t sleep on a sofa out here, surely you know your way around to the rooms?” Earlier, one of the bellmen took the cart of both their bags and cases right to their hall, but Yuu was too mesmerized by the shiny lobby to notice, forever missing his chance to reach his room without the aid of Uruha. To go there alone seemed very intimidating… 

“Not my problem.” Was all the blond uttered as he went his own way as if Yuu didn’t exist. 

Yuu thought he was used to Uruha’s cold and careless demeanor towards him, but he wasn't. Words like that still stung and Yuu’s own mood dropped drastically. At this point he couldn’t really bring himself to be angry with Uruha, he kinda didn’t want to invest any more feeling into whatever mentoring relationship they had if all his positive feelings were just going to be crushed constantly. 

“Jerk…”

“What was that?” 

Yuu’s eyes widened, his breath caught in his throat in fear. How in the world was Uruha able to hear such a nearly silent word from so far away? 

“Nothing.” Yuu dismissed instantly, looking up at the extremely displeased expression on Uruha’s face. He couldn’t see his eyes behind those sunglasses, but Yuu guessed his gaze was narrowed and deadly. Those lips were in a frown, his arms crossed in an impatient manner. Yuu could almost see flames of hell burning behind the blond. 

“I, uh, I’ll just be on my way-”

“Oh no you don’t. No one walks away from _me_.” With that, Uruha’s long legs made strides to get to Yuu who almost cowered before his overbearing presence. But he didn’t apologize. No, instead he stood his ground and looked back up at the taller man with a defiant pout. Yuu figured since he was already in trouble, he might as well fuel the fire some more. After all, it couldn’t possibly get worse, and getting back at Uruha in these little ways gave the smaller raven great satisfaction. So he made a little ‘hmph’ and crossed his arms before turning to the side and walking away. Screw that guy, screw the hotel room. Yuu was damn well going to enjoy the hell outta these complementary hotel activities whether he was able to find his room or not. Uruha can just deal with it.

Except Uruha did not like being brushed off in any situation, and even worse, being ignored. 

“Where are you going? I’m not done speaking to you!” His steps slowed dramatically when Yuu simply blinked towards him, and with the most confident voice he had ever heard from this little boy, Yuu spoke the same words he had given him.

“Not my problem.” 

Uruha was stunned to stillness. His expression changed to one of genuine shock before clenching his jaw and furrowing his brows midstep. _No one_ had ever used such a tone with him before, not even people he was exceptionally rude to. For someone like Yuu to speak to him just like he did everyone else stirred a burning fire of absolute distaste deep in his core. He’d never been this close to being genuinely angry before, but if that’s how it was gonna be, so be it. Yuu would regret this. He’d _personally_ make sure of it. 

Meanwhile Yuu was internally screaming. His face morphed into a million different expressions of disbelief, unable to process the fact he just did that. His confident aura shattered the instant he was out of Uruha’s sight, reverting back to the small and mellow Yuu who could only repeat that scene in his head over and over, each one impacting him harder than the last. He just verbally bitch slapped his prince! He just did that like it was nothing! Yuu had never felt more different from who he really was in his life! How was he possibly going to face him now? He could never.

As Yuu walked down the grand corridors of this ultra shiny hotel, he began to notice signs pointing him to different locations of each of this building’s complementary activities. Once he caught sight of a sign that wrote ‘Spa’ on it, Yuu’s eyes lit right up! Yes this would do just fine in taking his mind off every interaction he had with that blond demon today. After all, it was free. He would soak up all the royal treatment he could get! 

Without a second thought he entered the doors that lead to a check in desk area where two pleasant looking ladies stood with welcoming smiles. How nice it was to see people who treated him like a human. Yuu smiled back in greeting, failing to notice how both of the ladies faces quickly expressed girlish excitement upon seeing such a sweet smile from this young man. To them, being able to help serve someone who wasn’t a greasy old man was worthy of a day without pay! 

“Welcome! What can we do for you?” Oh yeah, he could totally get used to this. 

-

_Damn that little brat_! Uruha had enough of his presence. Riding on the plane was bad enough, even though they slept the whole time… Just having him nearby sucked! Always arguing and being so loud and annoying. Everything about that little monster drove him up the wall. Now that he was finally gone to god knows where, Uruha could finally relax. It wasn’t like he had to worry about management getting onto him for practically abandoning Yuu or anything, even if Yuu somehow got lost and was unable to make it back to Tokyo then that was perfectly fine with him. 

During his solo walk, Uruha took a moment to consider his options. He could do whatever he wanted and not get completely bombarded by fans and the like, so why not go all out? It had been so long since he’s had quality time with himself, he might as well get pampered. Especially after dealing with Yuu all day. _Ugh_ , he’d do anything to take his mind off him.

Clothes weren’t necessary in the spa area, as robes and towels were provided. All he had to do was request a specific treatment and the rest would be taken care of. Yes, a hot bath in solitude would ease his nerves just fine before the show tonight. 

All of Yuu’s worries and stress melted away into the bubbly water he sat in. His shoulder length hair was tied up rather haphazardly with a towel folded neatly atop his head, body completely bare so that the healing minerals were completely absorbed to his skin. There was a large pool-like structure in the center of this tiled room, steam floating all around and making for a nice veil of privacy. He was the only person in this corner of the large bath, relaxing to the fullest and closing his eyes as flower petals floated about. Everything was perfect, from the light floral scents, to the water’s temperature. He almost felt as if he could fall asleep with this serene atmosphere.

He opened his eyes a bit just to take a short look around, simply taking in everything he could because he’s never experienced luxury quite like this. Just a few seconds later, he caught sight of a barely outlined figure making its way towards his corner of the bath. In any normal scenario, he really didn’t mind some random person coming along to relax near him, like the last time he went to an onsen. Except, the person approaching was no random guy. Amidst the steam floating around, Yuu could very clearly tell who it was.

_Uruha_ … 

_You’re fucking kidding me_! Yuu screamed in his mind and quickly sunk deeper into the water, allowing only his nose to be above the water so that he could breathe as he quietly stepped back into the very corner of the bath. The _last_ thing he needed was any sort of confrontation after their little argument earlier. Maybe if he remained quiet and still like this he could get away with… _secretly bathing with his crush_. 

No no no, doing so would be impossible! 

Yuu clamped a hand over his mouth tightly as he gasped underwater, his eyes nearly falling out of his face when he saw the robe the blond wore slowly begin to fall off, leaving him in a small towel around those delicate hips. Despite the difficulty the situation presented, he did his best to remain still and unseen. And as much as he wanted to, Yuu just couldn’t make his eyes focus elsewhere! Unable to help himself, he watched with bated breath as that robe fell to the tiles. Thankfully, the steam was so thick it covered everything on the blond’s body until he stepped into the water. For Uruha, the water rose waist high as he stood just a few meters away from a trembling Yuu, completely unaware that he was being watched. 

No one had ever seen this much bare skin on the model. He had never dared to show off anything other than his shoulders. With his level of fame, showing anymore skin would probably murder his entire fanbase.

Now that he was in the water, just a few steps away from the smaller man, Uruha’s chest was visible behind a lighter steam floating against the water. Yuu’s eyes raked over that fair, unmarked skin. It was so shiny and smooth and with an underlying strength that had Yuu’s mind reeling! He felt so lucky knowing for a fact that he is the only person to see the world famous model fully naked from the hips up. Just looking at such radiant skin made him forget all the anger he held towards the blond. Easy as that. Yuu didn’t even have time to feel pathetic for letting go so easily.

He watched as Uruha took his time to relax, watched as he lifted his arms above his head to stretch for a moment before he ran those elegant hands through his hair, water dripping down every angle. A sight like this being featured in any magazine would be guaranteed illegal. For Yuu to be seeing it in person though… 

Water bubbled against his mouth loudly when he gasped again at the unbearable sight, choking on the water he accidentally swallowed as a result. The noise alerted Uruha of another presence in what he thought was an empty bath. The blond was startled from the noise, and even more so when he saw who it came from. His eyes widened at watching Yuu try to recover from drinking heavily perfumed water, taking a step back and changing his expression to one of utter discontentment.

“Ugh, the heck,” Yuu spoke between coughs, turning to the side and holding onto the edge of the bath, resting his forehead on his arms as he caught his breath. 

“Great, now I have another stalker.” Uruha mumbled with a frown, not very happy with how his relaxation time was interrupted. His arms crossed in that snobby way of his, chin raised as he looked down upon Yuu who instantly felt like an ant under that oppressive gaze. 

This, Yuu realized, was the first time he had ever seen Uruha’s bare, natural eyes. And to think he was allowing Yuu to see his natural state so nonchalantly. 

“I was here first! Who’s stalking who?” Yuu wasted no time in talking back, remaining still in his spot, his voice a little louder than it should’ve been due to his embarrassment. This really was a bad situation. He couldn’t last long being looked at like that by a half naked Uruha. And while he was completely bare himself, his body was hidden in the water, but that gaze managed to make him feel as if he wasn’t covered by anything at all. It was was if Uruha could see through his very being, down to his bones. It was too intense!

“Tch, as if.” Uruha was about to go on a rant about how Yuu just ruined the rest of his day by being here, but he wouldn’t give him that satisfaction. Besides, maybe it was just him but Yuu’s cheeks were beginning to turn red… Was it because of the hot water? Or? 

“Well! I’m leaving then!” Yuu struggled to find the words to insult him as well, unable to really form a coherent thought. “Turn around!” Yuu was not about to just hop out of the bath naked right in front of the other. He left the towel on the small chair a few steps away, but if only he knew this would happen he would’ve kept it closer. Sure, they were both men but this was _Uruha_ , not some random person he’d never see again in his life. But Uruha just stood there, unmoving, with a slowly growing smirk of victory.

“No.” Uruha promised himself that he would get back at Yuu for making his life harder than it needed to be. It seemed by doing this he hit the jackpot because now Yuu became an absolute mess! 

“What?! You can’t be serious. Just turn around so I can leave and you won’t be bothered anymore! I seriously do not want to deal with you right now.” Yuu spoke so quickly, tripping his words up here and there all while retreating back to the corner of the pool and shrinking down into it, trying his best to hide all he could of himself from Uruha’s piercing gaze. The blond quickly learned that he could use tactics like this to his advantage. If he won the contest of making Yuu as uncomfortable as possible, on top of being rude as usual, then maybe Yuu himself would request his managers that he stay as far away as possible from Uruha. 

With that goal in mind, Uruha began to take a few steps forward, shocking Yuu to the core. 

“H-Hey! What are you doing now?” Yuu was panicking, and all because Uruha decided to take a few steps closer, nowhere near invading his personal space. The blond found it all too amusing how easily flustered Yuu got. While Yuu may not have made any sort of attraction towards Uruha explicitly known, Uruha knew how attractive he was and how literally everyone, man or woman, would fall for him with just a blink of his eyes. Perhaps if he exercised that power on Yuu and _really_ freaked him out, then the deal would be sealed! He’d never have to work with this brat ever again!

“Nothing.” Uruha answered calmly, making it seem as if Yuu was completely overreacting to the situation. He took another step, this time not stopping like he did before, making Yuu tremble in his place. His smaller arms wrapped around his chest modestly, looking in every direction to find an escape, as if he was a mouse currently being cornered by a lion. 

“Look, I just wanna leave, okay? So just turn around and I’ll be gone… Okay?” His words fell on deaf ears. “Okay?” Uruha rolled his eyes at Yuu’s pleas, only two steps away now. At the closing distance, Yuu’s breathing became uneven and his body going stiff like a deer caught in the middle of the road. The taller was barely a couple of centimeters away, Yuu at eye level with his chest. His eyes went wider, legs becoming weaker and confidence flying away. Uruha took this chance during Yuu’s shock to place both hands on the edges of the bath on either side of him, causing Yuu to immediately turn his head to the side and cover his face with both hands, pressing his back against the corner even harder, doing his best to get away from how horribly close Uruha was. 

Maybe if he couldn’t see anything, he could pretend no one was there and none of this ever happened. But he was trapped, not allowed to get away at all. 

“Please… I promise I’ll leave you alone…”

Yuu’s sounded so sorry, as if he thought this truly was his fault. His voice was soft, barely coming out in a whisper. Never has Uruha heard such a weak tone come from Yuu. In fact, such a sound was so foreign to him that it actually caused him to register a faint stab in his chest. He could see how red Yuu’s face was behind his hands, his lips trembling like the rest of his smaller body and his eyes shut tight. _This isn't fair_. 

Uruha sighed in annoyance after staring for a bit, moving away and crossing his arms just like earlier. “Whatever.” His head was turned in the opposite direction, not even caring to look back at Yuu who still remained frozen in his spot. He figured the other hasn’t moved since he didn’t hear any disturbance in the water, which was beginning to annoy him again. “Well? Are you waiting for me to turn and look or what?” At that, Yuu wasted no time in pulling himself out of the bath and taking careful steps to his towel, covering himself and leaving without another word. 

For a fleeting moment, Uruha wondered if going that far was even worth it. 

Yuu on the other hand absolutely could not believe what just happened. Uruha just… he literally just…

“Oh my god,” he had to get out of here, and fast. His mind flashed with images of Uruha’s pretty face, how pleased he seemed with himself, how easy it was for him to get as close as he did. For a second Yuu felt special in the sense that Uruha had to resort to that measure, out of everything else he could do, he did _that_. But, with how popular he is, Yuu figured he probably wasn’t the first. Uruha was most likely used to getting his way no matter what he had to do to get it. If he wanted to make Yuu pay for his actions, he sure succeeded.

Part of Yuu wanted to scream at the fact his prince just enacted one of his many, many fantasies, but, having it happen with that kind of motivation was tempting his mood to drop once more. Uruha meant nothing by it, Uruha didn’t care how he felt, so why should Yuu even bother being upset? 

Oh but Uruha was so close and so beautiful and looked at him like that, only him! It was as if no one else existed, Yuu had all his attention in that moment. 

Why couldn’t Yuu just hate him and be done with all these contradicting feelings? 

Oh, right, because he sold his heart to him years ago.

**Author's Note:**

> A short first chapter, I promise the next ones will be longer! I'm so excited about this fic, I have been for over a year now and finally decided to start writing again. I missed being thrilled to see it all come together ;-;) Everyone seems to have moved to Ao3 so I guess I will too! Hopefully updates will be consistent with school literally just starting, sadness. Drop a comment if you like, I know it's the first chapter so there really isn't much to comment about(?) ANYWAY THANKS FOR READING!!


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